The Collegian

Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: Opinion

If a goldfish is presented with an abundance of food, it will overeat until it cannot swim and it will lie at the bottom of the tank in a food coma until it digests enough food to move again.

Today, humans are doing much the same thing. Improved manufacturing and processing have increased the food supply in most westernized parts of the world. Also, the food we consume is so extremely high in fat, sugar, preservatives, and salt that we are eating our way to obesity.

Much attention has been focused on Americans' increasingly sedentary lifestyles and growing portions of junk foods. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention found that 65 percent of U.S. adults and 15 percent of children are overweight. However, the United States is not the only country that is experiencing problems with expanding waistlines.

The World Health Organization reported that in the past 20 years obesity rates have tripled in parts of North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and Pacific Islands.

Increased weight means amplified health care costs. Almost a quarter of U.S. health care spending is used on health problems related to obesity. Being overweight is linked with heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, and lowered life expectancy.

One European city is taking proactive steps to reverse the tipping scales. Varallo, Italy is now offering its citizens 50 euros for men to lose nine pounds and women to lose seven pounds. Maintaining the weight loss for five months is rewarded with another 200 Euros. The mayor said that the town is going on a "group diet."

The European Union estimates that 35 percent of Italians are overweight or obese whereas Americans account for almost double that amount. If one of the weakest economies in the European Union can pay its citizens to lose weight, why can't America do the same?

Tax cuts, monetary compensation, or better health care benefits may be just the extra motivation Americans need to shed a few pounds. If that doesn't help, a revamped educational campaign on the benefits of an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits could encourage Americans to get off the couch and cut back on fast food.

Either way, America needs to do something to improve the health of its citizens.

Humans do have ten times the brain size of a goldfish. You would think that we would be smart enough to not eat ourselves into a state of worldwide obesity.

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